On Monday, April 14, 2025, the English Studies Program held its annual Halal Bihalal gathering at UC Hotel UGM. This event is a cherished tradition following Eid al-Fitr, held each year to foster togetherness and maintain strong bonds within the academic community. In addition to this event, active lecturers also took part in anjangsana—an annual routine to visit the homes of retired English Studies Program faculty members.

The event was attended by active and retired lecturers of the English Studies Program, along with their families. It served as a meaningful occasion to seek and offer forgiveness in the spirit of Eid, while strengthening the relationships among the academic community.

The event began with opening remarks from the Head of the English Literature Study Program, Dr. Adi Sutrisno, M.A., who emphasized the importance of maintaining familial ties within the members of the English Studies Program. The gathering continued with a lunch and casual gathering session, followed by a group photo to capture the warmth and joy of the moment. 

Sasynchronize is an exhilarating event assembled by the batch 2023 of the English Literature Study Program with the aim of strengthening the connection with the batch of 2024. It was held within a span of two days, from the 23rd to the 24th of February 2025. Inspired by My Little Pony, this year’s theme highlights the magic of synchronizing through friendship. During the first day, freshmen formed a momentous fellowship with their seniors via a special talent show, as well as by playing challenging games in a treasure hunt.

After the official start of Sasynchronize had been marked, the day began with talent show performances. Freshmen were put into certain groups randomly, alongside their seniors as Friendship Guardians. Various performances were carried out, with every single group coming up with their unique style to brighten up Soegondo’s 7th-floor auditorium.

The treasure hunt was the second major segment of the event. Each group was given a clue card that described a senior with whom they were supposed to take a picture as a token to get to a post. These posts were spread throughout the Soegondo building, each containing a game that rewarded the groups with envelopes containing a clue card and a possible letter for the word puzzle, the result of this segment. The games really brought out the group spirit since they require tight-knit teamwork and energy to voice out their group jingles. In other news, the tagline made up from the word puzzle was the cherry on top for this event. With it being “Every Group Holds A Magic Spark Among Their Heart,” it firmly recapitulates the very soul of Sasynchronize 2025.

Sasynchronize 2025 successfully captured the essence of unity and friendship, bringing freshmen and seniors together through creativity and teamwork. From the spectacular talent show performances to the exhilarating treasure hunt, every activity fostered a sense of bonding and collaboration.

On the following day, both batch 2023 and 2024 of the English Literature Study Program are back in their class again. However, their day did not end just yet. After their class was finished, they marched to the Soegondo’s 7th-floor auditorium to attend the second day of Sasynchronize 2025.

Contrary to the first day of Sasynchronize 2025, which was an informal event and had a cheerful vibe, the second day of Sasynchronize is a more serious event because the lecturers also joined this event as speakers. The lecturers who joined the second day of Sasynchronize 2025 are Hasyim Kurniawan, S.S., M.App.Ling., Alvanita, S.S., M.Ed., and also Adiba Qonita Zahroh, S.S, M.Litt.

The second day of Sasynchronize 2025 begins with a performance from Vari and Lugas, members of Kombantrin. Afterwards, the lecturers explained the agenda of the English Literature Study Program for this year. The students listened respectfully as the lecturers gave their explanation, proven by how active the discussion session was. After the main event, Sasynchronize 2025 was finally closed by the excellent performance from Icety.

As the two-day journey came to an end, Sasynchronize not only fulfilled its goal of synchronizing the students but also reinforced collective teamwork based on a sense of togetherness that will continue to shine throughout their academic journey.

Writers: IMAJI Editorial Ministry

Photographs: Naufal Arif, Zahra Ulayya

Studying abroad is a dream for many students including one from English Studies Program UGM, Benedicta Angie. Since childhood, she had been curious about how people live their lives abroad. As a result, she had been actively searching for an opportunity to study abroad. Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA), a program that is funded by the government that gives both vocational and undergraduate students a chance to study abroad in great universities across the world for one semester, was the perfect opportunity for Angie to make her dream come true. After a long selection process, Angie was successfully enrolled in IISMA fully funded program at Korea University, Republic of Korea (South Korea). 

During her stay in Korea University, Angie was enrolled in four courses: Media and Popular Culture in Korea, Criminology, Beginner’s Korean II, and Introduction to Applied Linguistics. One of the most interesting things she spotted while studying in Korea was the Korean students’ competitiveness. Angie realised this difference when she compared her learning experience in Criminology class, which is dominated by Korean students, with other classes that are mostly taken by international students. 

“In class, the local students were not very active in asking and answering questions, they are rather very quiet. But after going through the midterm exam, you can feel how serious they had been studying,” she stated, “Our professor curved our final grades, and must I be honest with you, it was very hard to keep up with them. The contrast is very visible to me, because in other courses, where most students are international students, the class dynamics and competitiveness are not different from the one that I have here in UGM.”

Overall, Angie enjoyed her academic journey in Korea. The classes were fun albeit challenging, and the professors were very helpful. She was a little bit disappointed because she was unable to join any clubs due to her short visiting period. However, she was still able to socialise and made friends through project groups and the buddy association gatherings. 

Besides in-class activity, Angie did many activities to immerse herself in South Korean culture. She visited many palaces, museums, art galleries, and festivals. Most of those places were free of charge, especially on Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving). The people were also very welcoming. Despite the language barrier, they tried their best to understand the foreign students. 

From the exchange, aside from academics and multicultural insights, Angie learned to be patient to herself. This is a valuable insight that she would not have gained if she had not studied abroad in Korea. She stated, “Being in my comfort zone in Indonesia has made me forget that everyday is my first day of living. Sometimes I forget that as a human, I will make mistakes, there will be discomfort, and that life is not perfect. I learned so much that if I want to move forward, I must be patient with myself and enjoy the process.” 

After finishing the exchange program, Angie planned to finish her studies in time and enroll herself for a master’s degree abroad. In the meantime, she was eager to help friends who hope to go abroad by giving them advice that can help them with the preparation process. Aside from that, she also planned to use the knowledge she gained from the exchange program, especially Korean language, to fulfil her dream as a translator.

One of the English Studies Program students, Azizah Putri Chandra Kusuma, spent a whole semester at Siena, Italy as an IISMA awardee. IISMA is a study abroad exchange program held by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), which offers students to study in highly reputable universities from all around the world for one semester. 

Azizah was eager to participate in this program because going abroad has been her dream since she was young. Due to financial reasons, she never had been able to take it into action. Upon discovering IISMA, Azizah thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to accomplish her dreams due to the great range of expenses the program offers. After going through a rigorous selection process, Azizah was finally declared as one of the awardees.

Azizah was very enthusiastic about the opportunity of studying abroad in Italy. She said, “Studying in Siena, Italy, as an IISMA awardee has been nothing short of transformative. Being in Italy means that the experience will be beyond just attending classes. It’s about immersing myself in a completely different academic environment and embracing the beauty of Italian cultures.”

During her academic journey in Italy, Azizah had an opportunity to collaborate with many other international students. This opportunity broadened her perspective and improved her communication skills. Besides the opportunity to study with many students from all over the world, Azizah also found the education system in Italy particularly interesting. In Italy, students have to take an oral exam in addition to the typical written exam. The oral exam is a one-on-one session with the professors discussing what students have learned during the class.

Beyond academics, Azizah also spent her time immersed with Italian culture. Siena was full of charming medieval streets and architecture rich in history. Azizah was particularly fond of Piazza del Campo. She used to sit in its front yard to have discussions with friends while enjoying local cuisines, such as pizza or gelato. Azizah noted that Siena differs in atmosphere from other big cities in Italy—it offers warmer and more intimate ambiance. The locals were friendly and welcoming towards Azizah, despite her struggles at communicating with the Italian language.

For Azizah, IISMA was a life-changing experience that had taught her valuable lessons inside and outside of the classroom. “Studying in Siena with classes that are mostly beyond my study field in English Literature has given me numerous insights that taught me to analyze topics from multiple perspectives and engage in discussion with confidence,” Azizah stated, “I also learned to appreciate cultural differences and embrace diverse environments, which also taught me the importance of cultural sensitivity or understanding that what is normal in one culture may be different in another.”

Azizah also noted that the exchange experience had increased her independence and resourcefulness. She also realised that her stay in Italy has also helped her improve her proficiency in Italian. Azizah was grateful to be participating in IISMA, which had become a journey of self-discovery as a learner with a mission to be an ambassador of Indonesian culture.

After completing IISMA, Azizah planned to apply what she had learned during her exchange program in her academic and professional journey. For short-term planning, Azizah was excited to help fellow students who also want to study abroad but unable to afford preparation courses by being an IELTS mentor without charging a fee. For long-term planning, Azizah hoped to enrol in a master degree program abroad in order to further broaden her horizons. She mentioned, “Ultimately, this exchange has given me the motivation to pursue bigger goals, and I am excited to know where this experience will lead me next.”

A year prior to his enrolment to IISMA, Elkholy was already certain that he wanted to participate in this program. In order to succeed, this English Literature student of Batch 2021 had prepared himself by doing various preparations. Elkholy participated in ATF 2023, ISKA 2023 and some other organisations to gain more experiences in order to increase his chances of passing the first stage of selection. After passing the preliminary stage, Elkholy continued to prepare for the interview session by doing mock-up interviews. His efforts paid off because he was accepted as an IISMA Awardee at University of Leeds.

After going through a preparatory stage encompassing academic, financial, social, and technical aspects called IISMA Pre-Departure Series, Elkholy departed to University of Leeds on 16th of September. Upon arriving first at Manchester airport, Elkholy was warmly welcomed by a representative from University of Leeds. Prior to his departure, Elkholy had already received so many emails and newsletters from the university—which really proved to be a great source of information to help him settle in during his first weeks in Leeds. In addition to that, the university also gave two weeks of orientation filled with welcoming activities which really prepared Elkholy to start his academic lectures when week three came.

During his study period at Leeds, Elkholy was enrolled in four different modules. This was in accordance with the arrangement done by IISMA and the Study Abroad Team. These modules were Introduction to Psychology, Psychology in the Media, Challenges in Transport and Mobility and Natural Hazards. Elkholy intentionally chose modules that are not directly related to English Literature or one specific field, because he wanted to learn something entirely new. The efficacious teaching methods and well-structured assessments boosted Elkholy’s academic journey experience. Overall, Elkholy felt that he has been well enlightened of academic life at the world-renowned University of Leeds—an opportunity he would forever cherish.

Apart from academic obligations, Elkholy also experienced new cultural exposure during his stay.  It was easy to spot many castles and historical landmarks, which were still well preserved. Every city Elkholy visited had an art gallery and a museum housing their own individual contribution to the country’s history. Elkholy did not only learn new cultures from visiting historical sites or museums. For him, even the mundane activities of grocery shopping or interaction with locals in public transport were the greatest contributors to him learning new cultures. 

Elkholy was a little bit reluctant to bid farewell to the city that had left such great impressions on him. During his journey back home, he reflected how this IISMA journey has been nothing but extraordinarily worthwhile. It gave Elkholy the chance to study outside his major in a globally renowned university, exposed him to new cultures and people, enlightened his view upon the outside world, and shed light on possible future prospects of my study. There might be difficulties along the way, but they were easily paid-off with the vast amount of new academic and global experience he gained.

(Photo credit: Elkholy)

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Ayfa Hurin Ien, a student from English Studies Program, is currently participating in a Lithuanian Language and Culture Winter Course. This is a month-long program designed for international students to learn Lithuanian at various level while also exploring Lithuania’s cultural and historical aspects. The program includes language classes, cultural lectures, interactive workshops, excursions, and practical language use in real-life settings. It is hosted by Vytautas Magnus University in Vilnius, Lithuania, and attended by participants from various countries.

An Extraordinary Learning Opportunity

Ayfa was drawn to participate in this program due to her genuine interest in linguistics, cultural studies, and international exchanges. She expressed her eagerness to learn a new language, especially Lithuanian. “Lithuanian is one of the oldest living Indo-European languages, and its phonetics and structure make it a fascinating subject of study. And honestly–the Lithuanian language just sounds so cool! When I first heard it, I was struck by how it sounded somewhat like High Valyrian out of the Game of Thrones series.”

The distinction between this program and other winter courses in an opportunity to to learn a language, which is not typically offered by other universities. Ayfa claimed that the language class offered in this program matches perfectly with her academic aspirations. For her, learning Lithuanian—which is dissimilar from her own language—is simultaneously daunting and exciting. “As the saying goes, ‘Language is a gateway to experiencing any culture.’ I am particularly looking forward to experiencing Lithuanian culture firsthand. I believe that stepping out of my comfort zone and immersing myself in a new environment will not only broaden my horizons but also deepen my understanding of how different cultures shape our world.”

Ayfa had to go through a rigorous selection process to be accepted in this program The selection process involved submitting an application, writing a motivation letter, and securing a recommendation letter from the academic supervisor. One of the challenges she encountered was ensuring that her application clearly demonstrated her motivation to join the course and how this program aligns with her academic and personal goals. Ayfa’s hard work paid off when she was announced to be one of the participants that will spend a month in Lithuania to study.

The Winter Course Experience

The winter course, which began on 4 January 2025, has given many treasured memories for Ayfa. Her daily A1 level Lithuanian language classes has simultaneously been challenging and rewarding, with the professors’ genuine enthusiasm and passion making the sociocultural lectures equally engaging. One of the highlights of her learning experience is composing a Lithuanian haiku for her language class. She added, “What makes this experience even more meaningful is that I’m studying in Vilnius – once a UNESCO City of Literature—which perfectly aligns with my studies.”

Beyond the language learning in the classroom environment, Ayfa has been deeply immersed in the Lithuanian culture. The university has gone above and beyond to provide authentic cultural experiences, such as a trip to Kaunas for watching a basketball match—a sport deeply embedded in Lithuanian identity. The students also enjoyed authentic Lithuanian dinners, explored the historical castles and Presidential Palace, visited to the ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as performed Lithuanian traditional folk dance together. 

Looking Back and Moving Forward

As the winter course concludes this Sunday, 2 February 2025, Ayfa reflected on the of learning process and growth she has experienced in Lithuania. She shared her gratitude for the memories she had experienced and the knowledge she had learned during this program, “Between visiting fascinating museums, historical sites, and practicing Lithuanian, I’ve learned more than I ever expected. The connections I’ve made with fellow students have added such richness to this experience.”

Ayfa has made significant progress in learning basic Lithuanian grammar and vocabulary, which allows her to introduce herself, navigate the city, and engage in simple conversations. However, the course has offered much more than just language skills. “Beyond the language itself, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for Lithuanian history and traditions,” she explained. “Navigating daily life in a new country has really pushed me out of my comfort zone, helping me become more adaptable and improve my cross-cultural communication skills.”

After the course, Ayfa planned to continue her Lithuanian studies independently by using online resources and language exchanges. She also hoped to apply the knowledge she had gained to her academic pursuits in linguistics and cultural studies. She mentioned, “This experience has reinforced my interest in international programs, and I would love to pursue more opportunities for studying or working abroad in the future.”

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As a student of English Studies Program, it is important to familiarize yourself with the university’s academic policies and expectations. The Academic Guidelines provide essential information on topics such as curriculum, courses, academic activities, and many more. By reviewing these guidelines, you will be able to optimize your learning experience as a student of English Studies Program UGM.

To access the academic guidelines for English Studies Program Students Batch 2021-2024, please follow the link below:

Click here to access the Academic Guidelines.